No, you do not need a doctor’s referral to begin rehab at athELITE Performance Therapy.

Thanks to Direct Access laws, licensed physical therapists in most states can evaluate and treat patients without a physician referral. This allows athletes to start rehab immediately, reducing delays that could lead to further weakness, stiffness, and compensation patterns.

Studies show that early physical therapy intervention reduces recovery time and improves long-term outcomes (Fritz et al., 2012). Waiting weeks for a referral can slow down your return to sport and increase the risk of chronic compensation injuries.

We primarily work with athletes aged 10-18 who are recovering from injuries and looking to return to their sport stronger. However, we also treat college and professional athletes who want to optimize performance, prevent injuries, or recover from chronic issues.

Common sports we specialize in:

• Basketball (ACL injuries, jumper’s knee, ankle sprains)
• Soccer (hamstring strains, ACL tears, ankle instability)
• Football (shoulder injuries, concussions, hamstring strains)
• Baseball/Softball (throwing-related shoulder & elbow injuries)
• Volleyball (jumper’s knee, shoulder impingements)

Our goal is to keep athletes on the field, not on the sidelines.

Yes! athELITE Performance Therapy is a hybrid clinic that accepts both insurance and cash payments.

We exhaust all insurance options first to cover as much of your rehab as possible. However, unlike traditional big-box clinics, we don’t discharge you the moment your insurance stops paying. Instead, we transition to cash-pay options to ensure you complete the full rehab process and return to your sport stronger than before.

🔹 Why this matters:

• Most insurance-based clinics discharge athletes too early, often after just 6-12 visits—long before they’ve regained full strength and stability.
• Research shows that athletes with lower strength and asymmetry post-rehab have a 2-3x higher risk of re-injury (Paterno et al., 2010).
• Traditional PT fails to fully restore performance—studies indicate that up to 50% of ACL-reconstructed athletes never return to their pre-injury level (Ardern et al., 2014).

By offering a seamless transition from insurance to cash-pay, we ensure you complete the entire rehab process and avoid the cycle of re-injury and setbacks. Our focus is on results, not just billing cycles.

For your first session, we recommend bringing:
✅ Athletic clothing (shorts, t-shirt, and sneakers)
✅ Any relevant medical reports (X-rays, MRIs, surgery notes)
✅ A list of past treatments and how they have worked for you
✅ A competitive mindset—because we’re here to get you back in the game stronger than before

We specialize in treating:
✅ ACL tears & post-surgical recovery (including graft-specific rehab)
✅ Patellar tendinitis (Jumper’s Knee) – affects 45% of basketball players (Lian et al., 2005)
✅ Ankle sprains & instability – Recurrence rates are as high as 73% without proper rehab (Hupperets et al., 2009)
✅ Rotator cuff & shoulder impingements – Common in baseball, football, and volleyball
✅ Low back pain & spinal injuries – Core strength & mobility corrections to reduce pain

Our data-driven approach ensures that every rehab plan is backed by real performance metrics.

Our hybrid rehab system is a 12 week cycle:
1️⃣ Initial evaluation – Full-body movement analysis, strength testing, and force plate assessment
2️⃣ Custom rehab plan – Corrective exercises and treatments tailored to your weaknesses
3️⃣ Weekly check-ins – Adjustments based on symptoms & progress
4️⃣ Re-testing every 4 weeks – Ensuring measurable improvements
5️⃣ Final clearance tests – Before return to full competition

Studies show that structured return-to-play testing reduces re-injury risk by over 50% (Kyritsis et al., 2016). That’s why we follow objective criteria rather than just relying on “feel.”

We provide elite-level recovery services, including:
🔥 Cold plunge & sauna – Speeds up recovery by 10-15% (Higgins et al., 2017)
💉 Dry needling & cupping – Improves blood flow & reduces muscle tightness
🦵 Normatec compression – Decreases soreness & enhances circulation